editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Richard Gonzales is NPR's National Desk Correspondent based in San Francisco. Along with covering the daily news of region, Gonzales' reporting has included medical marijuana, gay marriage, drive-by shootings, Jerry Brown, Willie Brown, the U.S. Ninth Circuit, the California State Supreme Court and any other legal, political, or social development occurring in Northern California relevant to the rest of the country.Gonzales joined NPR in May 1986. He covered the U.S. State Department during the Iran-Contra Affair and the fall of apartheid in South Africa. Four years later, he assumed the post of White House Correspondent and reported on the prelude to the Gulf War and President George W. Bush's unsuccessful re-election bid. Gonzales covered the U.S. Congress for NPR from 1993-94, focusing on NAFTA and immigration and welfare reform.In September 1995, Gonzales moved to his current position after spending a year as a John S. Knight Fellow Journalism at Stanford University.In 2009,NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Richard GonzalesSat, 03 Dec 2016 04:32:03 +0000Richard Gonzaleshttp://wuot.org
Richard GonzalesAmericans continue to be divided along partisan lines over Obamacare, with an overwhelming percentage of Democrats favoring it and an equal share of Republicans having unfavorable views, according to a newly released Kaiser Family Foundation poll.But when it comes to an actual gutting of Obamacare, there's doesn't appear to be a lot of support.One-fourth, or 26 percent, of Americans favor a full repeal of the health care law, while 17 percent say scale it back, according to the Kaiser poll. On the other hand, 30 percent favor expanding the law and another 19 percent want lawmakers to move forward with the law as it is.The poll was conducted one week after the 2016 presidential election. In its aftermath, President-elect Donald Trump and Republican lawmakers have signaled their intention to follow through on their campaign promise to repeal President Obama's landmark health care legislation. Republican lawmakers have voted to repeal Obamacare dozens of times.But the Kaiser surveyOnly 26 Percent Of Americans Support Full Repeal Of Obamacare, Poll Findshttp://wuot.org/post/only-26-percent-americans-support-full-repeal-obamacare-poll-finds
55304 as http://wuot.orgFri, 02 Dec 2016 13:03:00 +0000Only 26 Percent Of Americans Support Full Repeal Of Obamacare, Poll FindsRichard GonzalesThe election of Donald Trump has sent shock waves through civil rights organizations, including among LGBT activists. They say they fear a rollback in the progress their movement made during the Obama administration. Meanwhile, opponents of gay and lesbian rights also see a shift coming with the Trump administration.For the past several years, conservatives in the culture wars — those who have felt that their views on same-sex marriage, for example, were under attack — now say they have something to cheer about."I can tell you I'm pretty hopeful, and I'm hopeful based on what Donald Trump has said over the last year," says Kerri Kupec, legal communications director for the Alliance Defending Freedom. "In September 2015, he said that his first priority if elected president ... would be to preserve and protect our religious liberty."Kupec says religious liberty will be tested in a case to be heard next week before the Washington State Supreme Court. A floral designer is accused ofLGBT Rights Activists Fear Trump Will Undo Protections Created Under Obamahttp://wuot.org/post/lgbt-rights-activists-fear-trump-will-undo-protections-created-under-obama
54599 as http://wuot.orgFri, 11 Nov 2016 00:40:00 +0000LGBT Rights Activists Fear Trump Will Undo Protections Created Under ObamaRichard GonzalesAnother law enforcement officer will be charged in the ongoing investigation of dozens of San Francisco Bay Area police officers who allegedly had sex with a teen sex trafficking victim.Contra Costa County District Attorney Mark Peterson said he is filing a single misdemeanor charge against an 81-year-old retired Oakland police captain who allegedly paid the victim for sex. According to Peterson, the victim was 18 at the time. The name of the retired officer was not announced, and NPR generally does not name individuals who are the alleged victims of sexual assault.The charges follow the news Thursday that a former Oakland police officer, Terryl Smith, 30, will face five misdemeanor counts of "unauthorized furnishing of local criminal records." Smith allegedly ran the victim's name through a confidential police database and shared the information with her. The victim has said that she engaged in sex with police officers for money or for information about police activities.In September,Another Officer Charged In San Francisco Bay Area Police Sex Scandalhttp://wuot.org/post/another-officer-charged-san-francisco-bay-area-police-sex-scandal
54360 as http://wuot.orgFri, 04 Nov 2016 23:41:00 +0000Another Officer Charged In San Francisco Bay Area Police Sex ScandalRichard GonzalesUpdated at 1 a.m. ETThe Chicago Cubs, ending a championship drought that has lasted 108 years, beat the Cleveland Indians 8-7 in Game 7 of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field in Cleveland.They did it the hard way, too, coming back from a 3-1 game deficit, winning three straight games, including the last two on the road in Cleveland. And it took ten innings to win it all in Game 7.The Cubs are the first team since the 1985 Kansas City Royals to claw back from a 3-1 deficit in the World Series. They won 103 games during the regular season.The Cubs took the lead early in the first inning and seemed in control of the game before almost letting this one get away. They were leading 6-3 when their hard-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman blew a save opportunity by giving up three runs in the eighth inning, two coming from a dramatic home run by the Indians' Rajai Davis that tied the score at 6-6.In the top of the rain-delayed tenth inning, the Cubs' Kyle Schwarber opened the frame with aChicago Cubs Defeat Cleveland Indians In 10 Innings To Win World Serieshttp://wuot.org/post/world-series-game-7-ultimate-dream
54285 as http://wuot.orgWed, 02 Nov 2016 21:28:00 +0000Chicago Cubs Defeat Cleveland Indians In 10 Innings To Win World SeriesRichard GonzalesIn California, the city of Oakland was the first to regulate and tax medical marijuana dispensaries. Now, some city leaders see the industry's profits and are proposing to take a bigger piece of the action. The Oakland City Council is voting later this month on a pot profit-taking plan.Harborside Health Center in Oakland is the largest medical marijuana dispensary in the nation.Its executive director, Steve DeAngelo, says his dispensary brings in about $30 million in annual revenues."We've created over a 150 well-paying jobs and we're the second largest retail taxpayer in the city," he says.DeAngelo says Harborside pays about $1.5 million in taxes every year.His operation is one of eight licensed dispensaries in Oakland. But there are scores of other pot businesses that operate semi-legally, meaning they pay taxes but they are not fully licensed. And now the city wants to license them, too, but at a price.The exploding cannabis industry has the city rethinking how much the dispensariesCity Of Oakland Considers Ways To Share In Pot Profitshttp://wuot.org/post/city-oakland-considers-ways-share-pot-profits
54242 as http://wuot.orgTue, 01 Nov 2016 22:23:00 +0000City Of Oakland Considers Ways To Share In Pot ProfitsRichard GonzalesUpdated at 11:30 p.m. ETThe Chicago Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians 5-1 in Game 2 of the World Series. The best-of-seven Series is tied one game apiece as the action moves to Chicago for Game 3 on Friday.Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta disarmed the Indians' batters, holding them hitless until the sixth inning, when they scored their only run. The Indians stranded two runners in the seventh inning, a runner in the eighth inning and another in the ninth. But they never mounted a real challenge to Cubs relievers Mike Montgomery or Aroldis Chapman.The ScoringIn the first inning, Indians starting pitcher Trevor Bauer gave up one run on a single by Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, who then came home on a double by Anthony Rizzo.The Cubs scored their second run in the third inning on a base hit by Kyle Schwarber, driving in Rizzo from second base.The Cubs scored three runs in the top of the fifth inning after Cubs reliever Zach McAllister walked Rizzo and then gave up a triple by BenChicago Cubs Beat Cleveland Indians 5-1 In Game 2 Of The World Serieshttp://wuot.org/post/chicago-cubs-hope-even-world-series-game-2-against-cleveland
54027 as http://wuot.orgWed, 26 Oct 2016 22:25:00 +0000Chicago Cubs Beat Cleveland Indians 5-1 In Game 2 Of The World SeriesRichard GonzalesThe Obama administration is announcing a series of recommendations for ensuring the safety of the nation's more than 400 underground natural gas storage wells.The report comes as a result of the natural gas leak in Porter Ranch, a Los Angeles neighborhood, one year ago. It says the leak at the Aliso Canyon plant was the largest methane release from a natural gas storage facility in U.S. history. Some 8,000 families were displaced after complaining of headaches, nosebleeds and nausea. The facility operator, Southern California Gas Co., was unable to seal the well until February 2016, four months after the leak was detected.The report by a White House interagency task force includes 44 recommendations related to the integrity of gas storage wells, preparation for possible natural gas leaks, and better coordination between the gas and electric industries, which are increasingly interdependent."No community should have to go through something like the Aliso Canyon leak again. TheWhite House Report Calls For Safer Natural Gas Storagehttp://wuot.org/post/white-house-report-calls-safer-natural-gas-storage
53745 as http://wuot.orgTue, 18 Oct 2016 21:45:00 +0000White House Report Calls For Safer Natural Gas StorageRichard GonzalesRetired Marine Gen. James E. Cartwright pleaded guilty to a single count of making false statements to federal authorities. The investigators were looking into a leak of classified information about a secret cyberattack on Iran's nuclear facilities.The plea came in a brief appearance in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.According to The Associated Press, Cartwright could face a maximum of five years in prison but prosecutors and defense counsel have agreed on a recommended sentence of no more than six months. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon will announce his decision at a sentencing hearing scheduled for January 2017.Cartwright is a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He had been charged with falsely telling FBI investigators that he did not provide classified information for a book written by New York Times reporter David Sanger.Sanger is author of Confront and Conceal: Obama's Secret Wars and Surprising Use of American Power, published in 2012. It covers theRetired Marine General Pleads Guilty To Lying In Leak Investigationhttp://wuot.org/post/retired-marine-general-pleads-guilty-lying-leak-investigation
53704 as http://wuot.orgMon, 17 Oct 2016 21:51:00 +0000Retired Marine General Pleads Guilty To Lying In Leak InvestigationRichard GonzalesWells Fargo CEO John Stumpf Resigns Amid Scandalhttp://wuot.org/post/wells-fargo-ceo-john-stumpf-resigns-amid-scandal
53534 as http://wuot.orgWed, 12 Oct 2016 21:41:00 +0000Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf Resigns Amid ScandalRichard GonzalesCable giant Comcast Corp. has been ordered by federal regulators to pay $2.3 million for wrongfully charging customers for gear and services they never requested. Officials say it is the largest civil penalty imposed on a cable operator.On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission ordered Comcast to pay the fine after investigating complaints that some customers were charged for equipment such as set-top boxes, and services such as premium channels even after they had specifically rejected offers from Comcast representatives.That practice, known as "negative option billing," is illegal under federal law.The fine was announced in a statement issued by the chief of the Enforcement Bureau at the FCC, Travis LeBlanc."It is basic that a cable bill should include charges only for services and equipment ordered by the customer—nothing more and nothing less. We expect all cable and phone companies to take responsibility for the accuracy of their bills and to ensure their customers haveComcast Fined $2.3 Million For Improperly Charging Customershttp://wuot.org/post/comcast-fined-23-million-improperly-charging-customers
53500 as http://wuot.orgTue, 11 Oct 2016 23:33:00 +0000Comcast Fined $2.3 Million For Improperly Charging CustomersRichard GonzalesFederal prosecutors will charge Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio with criminal contempt of court for violating a judge's order to stop immigration patrols that led to a court finding of racial profiling.The controversial sheriff is expected to be officially charged on Wednesday. If he is convicted of misdemeanor contempt, the 84-year-old Arpaio could face up to six months in jail. The court set a tentative trial date of Dec. 6.The charge is the latest development in a long-running legal battle over Arpaio's policy of enforcing federal immigration laws.In December 2011, U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow issued a preliminary injunction ordering Arpaio and his deputies to stop targeting Latino drivers. Prosecutors allege that Arpaio's deputies defied the injunction for at least 18 months. In May 2013, Snow ruled that Arpaio's office had engaged in racial profiling.Arpaio and his deputies have admitted to violating the judge's order, but they claim their defiance wasn't intentional.Feds Will Press Criminal Contempt Charges Against Ariz. Sheriff Arpaiohttp://wuot.org/post/feds-will-press-criminal-contempt-charges-against-ariz-sheriff-arpaio
53501 as http://wuot.orgTue, 11 Oct 2016 23:20:00 +0000Feds Will Press Criminal Contempt Charges Against Ariz. Sheriff ArpaioRichard GonzalesUpdated 7 a.m. ET on Oct. 11Samsung Electronics is permanently ending production of its flagship Galaxy Note 7 smartphone, after trying for more than a month to solve the problem of the device catching fire.Samsung, the global leader in smartphone production, announced Monday that it is suspending sales of the smartphone after reports that some replacement devices were also spontaneously igniting. On Tuesday, Samsung announced that it is halting production, and a spokesman told NPR's Elise Hu that production will not resume."This is the end" of the phone model, Elise says.The news comes after Samsung announced last month that it would recall 2.5 million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones amid reports that batteries were overheating and were a safety risk. The company reportedly changed battery suppliers, but that doesn't appear to have solved the problem. Last week, a Samsung Note 7 began smoking on a Southwest Airlines flight, prompting an evacuation of the plane. The phone was reported by theSamsung Permanently Powers Down Galaxy Note 7 Smartphoneshttp://wuot.org/post/samsung-halts-production-galaxy-note-7-smartphones
53466 as http://wuot.orgMon, 10 Oct 2016 23:27:00 +0000Samsung Permanently Powers Down Galaxy Note 7 SmartphonesRichard GonzalesUpdated at 7:00pm ET with sanctions threatened against RussiaThe United States has officially blamed Russia for the hacking of computers of the Democratic National Committee and other political organizations, and it accused Moscow of trying to interfere with this year's election process.The charge came in a strongly worded statement released by the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence on Friday."The U.S. intelligence community is confident that the Russian government directed the recent compromises of e-mails from U.S. persons and institutions, including from U.S. political organizations," said the joint statement.The statement said the alleged hacks of emails on sites like DCLeaks.com and WikiLeaks and by the online persona "Guccifer 2.0" all have the earmarks of "Russian-directed efforts."The statement adds:"These thefts and disclosures are intended to interfere with the US election process. Such activity is not new to Moscow—theU.S. Accuses Russia Of Election Year Cyber-Meddlinghttp://wuot.org/post/us-accuses-russia-election-year-cyber-meddling
53382 as http://wuot.orgFri, 07 Oct 2016 21:38:00 +0000U.S. Accuses Russia Of Election Year Cyber-MeddlingRichard GonzalesAs a young boy, Polish-born Yisrael Kristal looked forward to turning 13 when he could celebrate his bar mitzvah, the Jewish coming-of-age ritual. But that was 1916 and World War I crushed that hope. Little did he know that he would wait a century for that ceremony.Kristal barely survived the next world war as a prisoner in Auschwitz. After WWII, he rebuilt his life in Israel, raising a family and opening a business. Earlier this year, he was recognized by Guinness World Records as the world's oldest man.But the milestone event that marks a Jewish boy's passage to adulthood eluded Kristal until this week when he finally celebrated his bar mitzvah, at the age of 113, surrounded by two children, nine grandchildren and 30 great-grandchildren in Haifa, Israel.As his family prepared for the celebration, Kristal's daughter, Shulamith Kristal Kuperstoch told the BBC that the long-delayed ceremony would be a "corrective experience."Kristal, who was orphaned by the end of WWI, opened aWorld's Oldest Living Man Celebrates His Bar Mitzvah 100 Years Latehttp://wuot.org/post/worlds-oldest-living-man-celebrates-his-bar-mitzvah-100-years-late
53350 as http://wuot.orgThu, 06 Oct 2016 22:41:00 +0000World's Oldest Living Man Celebrates His Bar Mitzvah 100 Years LateRichard GonzalesPope Francis has made good on a promise to go to the central Italian region hardest hit by the devastating earthquake that struck in August. He arrived Tuesday without warning to console survivors and urge them to press forward.According to the Associated Press, the pontiff hoped to keep his visit low-key, so it wasn't announced until after he had already arrived in Amatrice, the town devastated by the magnitude 6.2 earthquake that killed almost 300 people and left an additional 4,000 homeless."I didn't come earlier so as not to cause problems, given your condition," the pope told survivors, reported the AP, which cited Vatican Radio. "I didn't want to be a bother."Pope Francis visited with schoolchildren who are still occupying makeshift classrooms, as well as firefighters and police. He also visited the red zone, an area of Amatrice that is still sealed off owing to safety concerns.The pope urged residents to keep their spirits up. "There is always a future," he told them.AccordingPope Francis Surprises Survivors In Italian Earthquake Siteshttp://wuot.org/post/pope-francis-surprises-survivors-italian-earthquake-sites
53274 as http://wuot.orgTue, 04 Oct 2016 22:38:00 +0000Pope Francis Surprises Survivors In Italian Earthquake SitesRichard GonzalesThe United States announced it is suspending efforts to revive a cease-fire in Syria, blaming Russia's support for a new round of airstrikes in the city of Aleppo.As NPR's Michele Kelemen reports,"The U.S. was offering to cooperate with Russia in the fight against extremists in Syria, but only if Russia used its influence with Bashar Assad's regime in Damascus to ground the Syrian air force. The State Department says Russia failed to live up to its commitment, so the U.S. is suspending the talks. Spokesman John Kirby says the decision was not taken lightly."In his statement, Kirby said:"Russia and the Syrian regime have chosen to pursue a military course, inconsistent with the Cessation of Hostilities, as demonstrated by their intensified attacks against civilian areas, targeting of critical infrastructure such as hospitals, and preventing humanitarian aid from reaching civilians in need, including through the September 19 attack on a humanitarian aid convoy."As The New York TimesU.S. To Russia: Syrian Cease-Fire Talks Are Suspendedhttp://wuot.org/post/us-russia-syrian-ceasefire-talks-are-suspended
53235 as http://wuot.orgMon, 03 Oct 2016 20:37:00 +0000U.S. To Russia: Syrian Cease-Fire Talks Are SuspendedRichard GonzalesThe city of San Francisco is in a quandary. Like many big cities, it faces an affordability crisis, and city leaders are looking for a way to build housing to help low- and middle-income residents stay there.But one proposal to give current residents of a historically African-American neighborhood help to do that has run afoul of the Obama administration.Consider the case of Mack Watson. At 96, he is a vision of elegance in his freshly pressed ribbon collar shirt, vest and sports coat. He has called San Francisco home since 1947."Nothing is like San Francisco. Like the song, I lost my heart in San Francisco," he says minutes after finishing lunch at the Western Addition Senior Center on a recent day.But Watson lost more than his heart in San Francisco. He is among thousands of black San Franciscans who are being displaced by gentrification. He can still recall when this neighborhood, the Western Addition, was a hub of African-American life."The mom and pop businesses. They're all gone.How 'Equal Access' Is Helping Drive Black Renters Out Of Their Neighborhoodhttp://wuot.org/post/how-equal-access-helping-drive-black-renters-out-their-neighborhood
52723 as http://wuot.orgFri, 16 Sep 2016 21:44:00 +0000How 'Equal Access' Is Helping Drive Black Renters Out Of Their NeighborhoodRichard GonzalesSouthern California Gas Co. has agreed to pay $4 million to settle a case in which it faced a criminal charge associated with its handling of a massive gas leak in Porter Ranch, an affluent neighborhood of Los Angeles, last year.The utility pleaded no contest to a single misdemeanor count for failing to immediately report the gas leak to state officials as required by law when it occurred on Oct. 23, 2015. Instead the company waited three days before alerting state emergency officials."This agreement ensures that Southern California Gas Co. is held accountable for its criminal actions for failing to immediately report the leak," District Attorney Jackie Lacey said in a statement.The gas leak caused about 8,000 families to leave their homes for months. Many displaced residents complained of headaches, nosebleeds and nausea. The leak wasn't capped until February 2016. It is reported to be the largest known release of climate-changing methane in U.S. history.The settlement calls for SoCalSoCal Gas To Pay $4 Million After Massive Gas Leakhttp://wuot.org/post/socal-gas-pay-4-million-after-massive-gas-leak
52596 as http://wuot.orgTue, 13 Sep 2016 22:47:00 +0000SoCal Gas To Pay $4 Million After Massive Gas LeakRichard GonzalesFormer Israeli President and Prime Minister Shimon Peres, who turned 93 last month, suffered a stroke and was rushed to a hospital in Tel Aviv, according to representatives from his office.They issued this brief statement Tuesday:"The office of the 9th president wishes to update that the 9th president Shimon Peres has been hospitalized in the Tel Hashomer hospital after suffering a stroke. His condition is stable and he is fully conscious. He is receiving appropriate medical treatment."A short while later, a new statement said Peres had been sedated, placed on a respirator and scheduled for a CT scan.Peres is Israel's most renowned living political leader and senior statesman. According to The Associated Press, he served three terms as prime minister and held the posts of foreign minister and finance minister.In 1994, Peres was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat for their efforts in negotiating theFormer Israeli President And Prime Minister Shimon Peres Hospitalizedhttp://wuot.org/post/former-israeli-president-and-prime-minister-shimon-peres-hospitalized
52588 as http://wuot.orgTue, 13 Sep 2016 19:51:00 +0000Former Israeli President And Prime Minister Shimon Peres HospitalizedRichard GonzalesChicago cemented its reputation as the murder capital of the country with 13 fatal shootings over the Labor Day weekend, bringing the city's annual toll to at least 500 killings. That's more homicides this year than the nation's two largest cities — New York and Los Angeles — combined.The bloody weekend capped off a particularly violent month of August, in which 92 people died — the most in a single month since August 1993, according to USA Today.That publication added these grim statistics:"The city is on pace to record well over 600 murders for 2016, a threshold it has not reached since 2003. In the 1990s, in the midst of gang violence driven by the crack-cocaine epidemic, Chicago regularly recorded more than 700 murders per year."The Chicago Tribune reports that the number of homicides actually exceeds 500:"After this past weekend's violence, homicides now stand at 512 for the year, according to data collected and analyzed by the Tribune. There were 491 homicides all of last year.Chicago Passes Threshold Of 500 Homicides In 2016 http://wuot.org/post/chicago-passes-threshold-500-homicides-2016
52350 as http://wuot.orgTue, 06 Sep 2016 22:04:00 +0000Chicago Passes Threshold Of 500 Homicides In 2016